A leading civil society organization in South Sudan said it has opened legal aid centres in eight states to defend citizens who cannot afford to hire lawyers.

Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), told Radio Tamazuj yesterday that the legal aid centres will monitor matters pertaining to human rights and will also facilitate access to justice in those states.

He pointed out that many people in the country cannot afford to hire lawyers to defend their cases in court.

Yakani explained that the centres were opened in Juba, Torit, Rumbek, Wau, Bor, Tonj, Yambio and Yei and that each centre will be provided with three advocates.

He called on people whose relatives are in jail to register in those towns next week so they can access justice.